Web-Based System and Method for Collection and Management of Real Estate Open House Data

ABSTRACT

A system and method for management of real estate open house data includes a database and a website configured to provide access to information from the database. The website is configured to communicate with a user identification device, in the form of a user&#39;s cell phone or other mobile device, upon a user&#39;s entry into the open house, to transfer user identification data to the database.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority, and is a continuation of co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/120,682, entitled Web-Based Systemand Method for Collection and Management of Real Estate Open House Data,filed on May 15, 2008, which claims priority, and is acontinuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/800,643, entitled Web-Based System and Method for Collection andManagement of Real Estate Open House Data, filed on May 7, 2007, thecontents each of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of real estate openhouses. More specifically, the present invention is related to theautomated collection and management of real estate open house data.

2. Background Information

Real estate open house attendance data is a valuable marketing tool fora real estate agent hosting an open house (“host agent”). Accuratecontact information for open house guests allows the host agent tocommunicate with interested parties after the open house. For example,the host agent may want to inquire about levels of interest among theguests, and provide additional information about the property to theguest directly or through their broker/agent (if they are represented).Guests may want to request information through their agent, or from thehost agent, and to have easy access to data relating to the open house.

The traditional open house process does not provide an efficient andreliable means for collecting open house attendance data. A host agentwill typically ask open house guests to manually register themselves bysigning a guest log. A host agent may then attempt to create a contactlist by entering the handwritten names and contact information in a wordprocessing device.

A disadvantage of this traditional sign in process is that it is timeconsuming and prone to errors. For example, the handwritten contactinformation may be illegible. Some contact information may be missing orinaccurate due to human error or by the deliberate misinformation oromission by the guests.

Another disadvantage of this sign in process is that it does notdisclose to the host agent any agency relationship which may existbetween an open house guest and their real estate agent. Problems mayoccur if this agency relationship is not recognized/made known. Forexample, a buyer's agent may be deprived of a potential commission, orthe buyer may be subject to being diverted to another agent if a hostagent is not put on notice that a open house attendee is alreadyrepresented by a buyer's agent.

In addition, communication and collaboration among interested parties ishampered by the lack of a common repository of accessible data. Contactinformation for open house guests may be unavailable, or may be part ofan agent's proprietary customer list. Open house attendance datacollected by the host agent is not available to guests, property owners,or agents. Records of an agency relationship between a guest and anagent are not typically disclosed to the host agent. Open house propertydata, and ongoing listing status of a property previously attended isnot directly accessible to real estate clients and open house attendees.

Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for collection andmanagement of real estate open house data, which allows efficient andreliable communication and information exchange among parties to a realestate open house process.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present invention, a real estate open house datamanagement system includes a database configured to store anddynamically update open house data, and user data, and a websiteconfigured to provide selective access to the database. A data collectorassociated with the website is configured to collect user data and openhouse data from a user identification device associated with a userattending the open house. A processing device communicably coupled withthe data collector, is configured to transfer the user data and openhouse data from the data collector to the database.

In another aspect of this invention, a method of managing real estateopen house data includes opening an account for the open house at awebsite, enabling communication between the website and a useridentification device, the user identification device being a mobiledevice containing user identification data; collecting, with thewebsite, the user identification data from the user identificationdevice, and storing the data in a database; and configuring the accountfor access through the website.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of managing real estateopen house data includes configuring a database for storage ofinformation relating to real estate open houses; configuring a websitefor access to information from the database; and configuring datacollectors for collection of user identification data from useridentification devices on real estate open house premises.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of this invention will bemore readily apparent from a reading of the following detaileddescription of various aspects of the invention taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, with optional aspects shown in phantom, ofan alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic views of additional optional features of theembodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method associated with embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of another method associated with embodiments ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of another method associated with embodiments ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown byway of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may bepracticed. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized. It is also to beunderstood that structural, procedural and system changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in alimiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by theappended claims and their equivalents. For clarity of exposition, likefeatures shown in the accompanying drawings are indicated with likereference numerals and similar features as shown in alternateembodiments in the drawings are indicated with similar referencenumerals.

As used herein, the term “user” refers to persons or entities authorizedto use aspects of the claimed invention. The term “agent” includes realestate brokers, agencies, and their employees. The term “client” refersto a person or entity with an agency relationship with a real estateagent. The term “host agent” refers to a real estate agent hosting anopen house. The term “subscriber” includes a person or entity for whomor for which a subscription fee has been paid. The term “unaffiliatedseller” refers to a person or entity, interested in transferring rightsto real property, who has not engaged the services of a real estateagent. The term “unaffiliated buyer” refers to a person or entity,interested in acquiring rights to real property, who has not engaged theservices of a real estate agent. The term “open house” refers to atemporary opening of a real property for public tour and inspection. Itshould be noted that the foregoing terms may be applied individually toseparate entities, or in combination such as in the event a particularentity is serving in multiple capacities.

Briefly described, embodiments of the present invention include a systemfor automated collection and management of real estate open house data,including a database and a website configured for access to informationfrom the database. In some embodiments, the database acts as a centralrepository of information accessible by various users, such as realestate agents and clients, host agents, subscribers, unaffiliatedbuyers, unaffiliated sellers, and members of the general public. Forexample, the database may store data relating to real properties forsale, open houses, and users of the system.

In some embodiments, various users may provide information for storagein the database. For example, individual subscribers may enroll in thesystem by providing personal information such as contact information. Inanother example, agents may provide information on clients and on realproperties for sale, and host agents may provide information on openhouses.

Collection of open house attendance data may be automated throughelectronic registration of open house attendees at data collectors onthe open house premises. The data collectors are configured forcollection of user identification data from user identification devices,which are portable data storage devices distributable to users of thesystem. Each user identification device is configured for storage ofuser identification data relating to the individual user to whom thedevice is to be distributed.

For example, a real estate agent may provide a client with a useridentification device in the form of a card with a magnetic strip. Thecard contains user identification data relating to the client, such asthe client's agency relationship with the agent. Upon attending an openhouse, the client may electronically register at the open house byswiping the card through a data collector, which in this example may bea card scanner. In other examples, user identification devices aredistributable to other users such as agents and subscribers. Optionally,the data collector may be configured for manual entry of identificationdata for attendees without user identification devices.

The user identification data collected by the data collector istransmitted to the database through a processing device communicablycoupled to the data collector. The processing device may optionally beconfigured for generation and storage of supplementary data, and fortransmission of the supplementary data to the database. For example,processing devices of some embodiments may be configured for thegeneration of open house attendance data, such as statistics relating tothe open house attendees. Also, processing devices of some embodimentsmay include user interfaces, such as keyboards and display screens. Insome embodiments, the processing devices may be configured to connect tothe web portal over the internet and to access information from adatabase.

Information in the database is accessible through the web portal.Optionally, the web portal may allow different levels of access todifferent classes of users. For example, a real estate agent may haveaccess to open house activity of his or her clients, but would not haveaccess to such data relating to clients of other agents. In someembodiments, the web portal may optionally be configured to provideinformation retrieval tools, communication tools, and CustomerRelationship Management tools (CRM) for agents, as discussed in moredetail below.

Some embodiments may be based on a subscription business model, in whichthe web portal may optionally be configured to provide access toinformation in the database to subscribers. Access through the webportal may be managed through user accounts. For example, a real estateagent may subscribe to the system, and create a free user account for aclient, thereby authorizing the client to access the system through theweb portal.

Turning now to the Figures, various embodiments of the present inventionwill be described in greater detail. As shown in FIG. 1, an embodimentof the present invention includes a user identification device 12. Useridentification device 12 is a portable data storage device, on which isstored user identification data relating to an individual user, andwhich is distributable to the user. User identification device 12 isconfigured for the electronic registration of a user at a real estateopen house, at a data collector 14 located on the open house premises,for example at the front door of the open house.

The user identification device 12 may be any suitable device, such as acard with magnetic strip or other magnetic storage device, a flashmemory storage device, a microprocessing device-based storage device, ora radio frequency identification storage device. In some embodiments,the user identification device 12 may optionally be configured todynamically store additional data, such as data relating to the user'sopen house activity, described below in reference to the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A, 3B.

Optionally, the user identification device 12 may be configured as a keyfor allowing entry to a real property. For example, it is customary toinstall a lockbox on a door of a real property for sale, which may beopened with a lockbox key, allowing entry to the property. In someembodiments, the user identification devices distributed to agents maybe configured for use as electronic lockbox keys.

Data collector 14 is configured to collect the user identification datafrom the user identification device 12. Data collector 14 may be anysuitable device, including a card scanner; an optical reader; a bar codescanner; a Universal Serial Bus port; or a keyboard. For example, theuser identification device 12 may be a card with a magnetic strip, andthe data collector 14 may be a card scanner configured for collection ofthe user identification data upon the user's swiping of the card 12through it.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a system 50 includes processing device 16,which is communicably coupled to the data collector 14. Thus, as shown,processing device 16 may be configured for acquisition and storage ofany data on device 12 through data collector 14, and for transmittingany such data over network 18 to database 22. In this embodiment,processing device 16 is configured to transmit the collected useridentification data from the data collector 14 over a network 18, e.g.the internet, to database 22.

Processing device 16 may also be optionally configured for generationand storage of supplementary data, and for transmission of thesupplementary data to the database 22. For example, processing device 16may optionally be configured for generation, storage and transmittal ofopen house attendance data, such as the date and the location of theopen house; and user attendance data, such as the time of the user'svisit to the open house.

The processing device 16 may be any suitable device configured to storeand transmit data, having an optional user interface, such as a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, or a cellularphone. Optionally, the data on the user identification device 12 may beupdated upon communication with processing device 16 with data relatingto the user's open house activity, e.g., with the user attendance data.

As discussed below, in some embodiments the network 18 may be theinternet. In such embodiments, processing device 16 may be configured toaccess information from database 22 over the internet. For example, ahost agent 34 (FIG. 2) may use a processing device 16 of theseembodiments to connect over the internet to the web portal 20, and tolog on to an account for the open house.

Web portal 20 is configured to provide access to information from thedatabase 22, such as remote access over the internet. In someembodiments, the web portal may be configured to provide access on asubscription basis, such as in exchange for a monthly subscription fee,and may optionally require a password. For example, an agent paying asubscription fee (“subscribing agent”) may provide a client 30 (FIG. 2)with a free client account, which may be accessed by the agent and theclient. Also, as further described in relation to the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A-3B, the web portal may optionally provide varying levels ofaccess to data in the database, and also may provide optional tools forcommunication, information retrieval and downloading, and customerrelationship management.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an alternative embodiment is shown as system 150,which is substantially similar to system 50, but for the followingdistinctions. Web portal 120 may be configured to provide access toinformation from database 122 to authorized users 24. In someembodiments, users 24 may include clients 30, agents 32, and host agents24. In embodiments based on an optional subscription model, users 24 mayinclude subscribers 36, e.g., persons or entities paying subscriptionfees for access. Also, in some embodiments, web portal 120 mayoptionally be configured to provide access to information from database122 to additional users 24, such as unaffiliated buyers 38, unaffiliatedsellers 40, and members of the general public 42. In some embodiments,information from database 122 may optionally be made available to thirdparty data purchasers 44, such as companies providing landscaping orother property-related services.

Web portal 120 may be optionally customized to provide various types andlevels of access to different types of users 24. For example, web portal120 may optionally be configured to allow a high level of access todatabase 122 for subscribing agents, and limited access for clients ofsubscribing agents. Also, web portal 120 may optionally be configured toinclude safeguards to ensure privacy of users of the system. Forexample, web portal 120 may be configured to omit personal identifyingdata from statistical information about open house attendees accessibleby host agents 34. In another example, web portal 120 may optionally beconfigured to allow an individual user 24 to access information relatingspecifically to that user 24, and to restrict the user from access toinformation relating to other users.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, database 122 may be configured to serve asa central repository of information collected from various sources. Insome embodiments, collected information may originate from users 24 viathe web portal 120. For example, a subscriber 36 may enroll on line viaweb portal 120, and provide user identification information through webportal 120, which may then be stored in database 122. Other optionalexamples of information which may be provided online via web portal 120for storage in database 122 may include unaffiliated buyers 38,unaffiliated sellers 40, and members of the general public 42 providingpersonal identification information, in exchange for access toinformation and services; agents 32 and unaffiliated sellers 38providing information on real properties for sale; host agents providinginformation on open houses; and agents 32 providing personalidentification information from their clients 30.

Information stored in database 122 may also originate from useridentification devices 12, collected via data collectors 14 at an openhouse, and transmitted by processing devices 16 over internet 118. Asmentioned above, user identification devices 12 are distributable tousers 24 for electronic registration at an open house via a datacollector 14 on the open house premises. In various embodiments, useridentification devices 12 are optionally distributable to users thatinclude clients 30, agents 32, host agents 34, subscribers 36,unaffiliated buyers 38, unaffiliated sellers 40, represented sellers 41,and members of the general public 42. User identification data ofclients 30 may optionally be stored on database 112 and useridentification devices 12 via their agents 32, who may input theidentification through web portal 120 for storage on user identificationdevices 12 and storage on database 122.

In some embodiments, data collector 14 may be optionally configured forthe collection of data directly from users 24, in addition to or in lieuof collection of data from user interface devices 12. For example, thedata collector 14 of some embodiments may optionally include userinterface features, such as input keyboards and displays, configured formanual entry of identification for attendees without user identificationdevices 12. In such embodiments, users 24 may optionally provide theiridentification data directly through the data collector, for example, byproviding identification data to a host agent 34 for entry into the datacollector 14.

In another example, the data collector 14 of some embodiments mayoptionally include a biometric identification component configured forcollection of biometric data from a user, such as a fingerprintrecognition device, an eye recognition device, or a speech recognitiondevice. In these embodiments, the processing device 16 may optionally beconfigured to correlate the collected biometric data with informationfrom database 122. For example, the processing device 14 may beconfigured to identify a user by correlating the collected biometricdata with the user's identification information accessed from thedatabase 122 over internet 118.

Turning now to the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, system 150 mayoptionally be equipped with a web portal 220 configured to providevarying levels of access to information and tools. For example, webportal 220 may optionally be configured to provide access to multipletypes of data, such as Real Property Data 50, Open House Data 60, andUser Data 70.

Real Property Accounts 52, 52′, etc., may each be configured for accessto Real Property Data 50 relating to an individual property for sale.Real Property Data 50 may include parameters of a property such as itssize, number of bedrooms, and location.

Open House Accounts 62, 62′, etc., may each be configured for access toOpen House Data 60 relating to an individual open house. Open House Data60 may include Open House Profile Data 64, with parameters of an openhouse such as the time, date, and host agent of an open house, and alsomay to include the Property Profile Data 54 of the property beingoffered for sale in connection with the open house. The Open HouseProfile data 60 may be configured to include updatable information suchAttendee Records 66, with records of attendees at past or in progressopen houses; and Follow Up Records 68, with records of follow upcommunications, e.g. between a host agent and open house attendees.

User Accounts 72, 72′, etc., may each be configured for access to UserData 70 relating to individual users. User Data 70 may include the UserIdentification Data 74 of the user identification devices 12 (FIGS. 1,2). The User Identification Data 74 of FIGS. 3A and 3B may be configuredto include the name of the user 24, and status as a client 30, agent 32,host agent 34, subscriber 36, unaffiliated buyer 38, unaffiliated seller40, represented seller 41, or member of the general public 42. If theuser 24 is a client 30, then User Identification Data 74 may beconfigured to include identification data for the client's agent 32,such as the agent's name and contact information.

Also included may be User Profile Data 76, which may contain moreconfidential information, such as the user's contact information, familystatus, financial information, and real property preferences. Access toUser Profile Data 76 may be restricted to the user, the user's agent ifapplicable, and to others as designated by the user.

User Data 70 may optionally be updated for each User Account 72, 72′,etc. For example, a User Account 72, 72′, etc., may be updated with theuser's Open House Activity data 78, transmitted by processing devices 16(FIGS. 1,2) from open house premises. Each User Account 72, 72′, etc.,may also be updated with Web Portal Activity data 80 with records of theuser's history of interaction with the web portal 220, such as access tooptional Information Retrieval Tools 90 and Communication Tools 110, asfurther described below.

It should be recognized that in addition to the various data generatedby the embodiments hereof, embodiments of the invention may gather anddisplay data from third parties, without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. For example, real property data 50, open house data60, and user data 70, may include data gathered from independent thirdparty sources such as various multiple listing services (MLS) or otherinternet real estate marketing services. These data may then bedisplayed via web portal 20, 120, 220, etc., along with data generatedby the embodiments themselves.

Examples of optional tools which may be made available through webportal 220 are also shown in detail in the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3B.The web portal 220 of this embodiment may provide Information RetrievalTools 90, which may include tools for accessing and downloading data,such as Open House Data Download Tools 92 and Property Profile DataDownload Tools 94. Information Retrieval Tools 90 may also includeadditional tools such as Property Interest Monitor 96, Open HouseActivity Viewer 98, and User Profile Editor 100. Property InterestMonitor 96 may be configured to provide reports on inquiries and offersregarding a property for sale. Access to Property Interest Monitor 96may be restricted, for example to a host agent and a host agent'sclient, or to an unaffiliated seller. Open House Activity Viewer 98 maybe configured for display of a user's open house activity 78. Access toOpen House Activity Viewer 98 may be restricted to the user, and, whereapplicable, the user's agent. User Profile Editor 100 may be configuredto allow the updating and correction of user profile data.

The web portal 220 of this embodiment may also provide CommunicationTools 110 for electronic communication between authorized users, forexample email 112, online forums 114 such as message boards, and instantmessaging 116. Additional examples of applications of CommunicationTools 220 are described below in relation to FIG. 3B.

The web portal 220 of this embodiment may also provide CustomerRelationship Management (CRM) Tools 130, such as Operations Tools 132,Communications/Feedback Tools 134, and Data Analysis Tools 136.Exemplary applications of CRM Tools 130 are described in further detailin reference to the embodiment of FIG. 3B. Web portal 220 may optionallybe configured to provide varying levels of access to CRM Tools 130 todifferent types of users, as discussed below.

Turning now to FIG. 3B, Operations Tools 132 of this embodiment mayinclude tools for facilitating real estate processes. For example,Listing Tools 138 may be configured to allow a user to “list” a realproperty for sale, e.g., by setting up a real property account 52 andinputting real property data 50 into the account 52 (FIG. 3A). RealProperty Availability Tools 140 may be configured to provide reports onavailable properties for sale with specified criteria. For example, anagent may use 140 to find desirable properties for a client.

Offer and Sales Tools 142 may be configured to facilitate the process ofmaking an offer on a property, and closing a sale on the property. Forexample, agents may use tools 142 to negotiate a property. Open HouseTools 144 may be configured to facilitate hosting of an open house. Forexample, a host agent may use 144 to open house account 62, and to inputopen house data 60 in account 62. Marketing Tools 146 may be configuredfor offering services to users. For example, an agent could useMarketing Tools 146 to advertise to prospective clients. Optionally,Marketing Tools 146 could be made available to real estate relatedbusinesses, such as moving companies.

Communication/Feedback Tools 134 may be customized for particular usersand activities. For example, the Agent—Client Messenger 156 may beconfigured for private communications among agents and clients, such asfor sending a map of an open house location to a client. Agent—AgentMessenger 158 may be configured for private communications among agents,for example to discuss a client's interest in a property.

Feedback Tools 150 may be configured to facilitate online evaluations,e.g., of real properties for sale. For example, Feedback Tools 150 mayinclude online forms for the anonymous evaluation of an open houseproperty which could be forwarded directly or indirectly to host agents,or represented sellers, etc. In other example, Feedback Tools 150 mayinclude customer satisfaction survey forms distributable by a realestate agency to clients.

The Agency Finder 152 may be configured to facilitate the establishmentof an agency relationship. For example, 152 may include a search enginefor available agents for users, such as an unaffiliated seller 40looking for an agent to list a real property for sale, or anunaffiliated buyer 38 looking for an agent to show him or her availableproperties for sale. Special Promotions Register 154 may allow users toregister for special promotions such as discounts on services and/orproducts, which may provide valuable marketing information. For example,members of the public may provide contact information while registering,and may consent to be contacted regarding potential real estateopportunities and/or by promotions partners offering products orservices that may be of interest.

Automated Message Generation 160 may be configured to automatically sendmessages (e.g., in nominally any form, such as emails, text messages,voice messages, or other alerts sent to a user's device, etc.) to andfrom users. For example, automated emails to an open house attendee 162,and his or her agent 164, if applicable, may confirm the attendee's openhouse visit. Automated emails 166 may alert a host agent (and/or arepresented seller) that an attendee with certain characteristics hasvisited the open house.

The Data Analysis Tools 136 of this embodiment may be configured foranalysis of various types of data stored in the database, such as theReal Property Data 50, Open House Data 60, and User Data 70. ReportTools 168 may be configured for generation of reports corresponding tocertain parameters. For example, a host agent may use Report Tools 168to obtain detailed reports on open house activity, such as statistics onattending guests. In another example, an individual user may use ReportTools 168 to obtain updated reports on all real properties he or she hasvisited.

Data Mining Tools 170 may be configured to search data for certainparameters, such types of web portal activity or public communications.Statistical Analysis Tools 172 may be configured for analysis of thestored data, for example to determine marketing trends.

Optionally, the web portal 220 of this embodiment may control the amountand nature of access for different classes of users. For example, webportal 220 may allow an individual user to access his or her ownaccount, but restrict that individual from accessing other users'accounts. In another example, the web portal 220 may allow a user toaccess open house information such as listing sheets 54, time and date58, and location 56, but restrict the user from accessing the list ofattendees 64.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method of use 200 associated withembodiments of the present invention. At 201, website 20, 120 is used toregister (e.g., open an account for) a planned open house. Communicationis enabled 202, between the website and a user identification devicecontaining user identification data (the data including a unique useridentifier). For example, this communication may be enabled by a realestate agent enrolling a client in the systems of FIGS. 1-3B, andproviding the client with the user identification card. In anotherexample, user identification devices may be provided by a systemadministrator to various users. Alternatively, this communication isenabled by permitting communication between the website and a user'spersonal mobile device (e.g., cell phone, Internet-connected pocketcomputer or PDA which serves as the user identification device), asdiscussed below.

The user identification device may be pre-stored with useridentification data. Alternatively, at optional Step 204, a user of thesystem may store the user identification data on the user identificationdevice. For example, as part of an enrollment process, a client mayprovide his or her user identification data to an agent. The agent ofthis example may then store the user identification data on the useridentification device at optional Step 204. Alternatively, the agent ofthis example may submit the user identification data to a systemadministrator, and the system administrator may provide the useridentification device with the pre-stored user identification data tothe agent for distribution to the client.

At Step 206, the user identification data from the user identificationdevice is collected using a data collector, such as a card reader orother device, located on the premises of an open house. This data maythen be transmitted, e.g., via a network 18 and/or the Internet 118, toweb portal 20, 120. A data collector on the open house premises may beprovided, for example by a system administrator or by a host agent.Alternatively, the data collector may take the form of provisionsassociated with the website 20, 120, to receive communications from theuser's personal mobile device, as discussed below. In this instance, theuser identification data may include the user's telephone number, emailaddress, MAC address, or other identifier that is substantially uniqueto the particular user and/or mobile device.

-   -   At Step 214, information from the database 22, 122, may be        accessed through web portal 20, 120. For example, a host agent        may access information from the database relating to attendance        at his or her open house. In another example, a client may        access data relating to his or her own open house activity        through the web portal.

Optional Step 218 involves creating a user account configured for accessto information relating to the user on the database. For example, anagent may set up a user account for a client as part of an enrollmentprocess. In another example, a system administrator may set up useraccounts. In yet another example, a subscriber may set up his or her ownaccount through a web portal.

FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary method of use 300 associated withembodiments of the present invention. At Step 302, database 22, 122, isconfigured for storage of information relating to real estate openhouses. At Step 304, web portal 20, 120, is configured to provide accessto information stored in the database. As discussed below, a user'spersonal mobile device, such as a cell phone, may serve as useridentification devices 12. Optionally, at 306, portable data storagedevices may be configured for distribution to users as useridentification devices 12. For example, a system administrator may storeuser identification data on the user identification devices beforemaking the devices available for distribution to users. In anotherexample, a system administrator may store user identification datarelating to a client on a user identification device, and provide theuser identification device to the client's agent for distribution to theclient.

At Step 308, data collectors 14 are configured for collection of userdata (e.g., user identification data) from the user identificationdevices on real estate open house premises. As discussed above, the datacollectors may be devices, such as card readers, etc., located at theopen house premises. Alternatively, the data collectors may take theform of provisions associated with the website (web portal) 20, 120, forreceiving communications directly from the user identification devices(e.g., from a cell phone or other personal mobile device as discussedbelow). Optionally, at Step 310, processing devices may be configuredfor transfer of the collected user data from the data collectors to thedatabase.

Embodiments of the invention may implement method 300 in conjunctionwith method 200. For example, a system administrator may configure thedatabase, web portal, user identification devices, data collectors, andprocessing devices at Steps 302-310 of method 300. Users such as agents,alone or in cooperation with the system administrator, may implement thevarious steps of method 200.

As mentioned above, in variations of any of the embodiments discussedabove, a user's personal mobile device, such as a cellular telephone,PDA (personal digital assistant), pocket computer, notebook computer, orother Internet connected device, may serve as user identificationdevices 12. The personal mobile device may thus communicate with otherelements of these embodiments using nominally any suitable protocol,including cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and/or nominally anyInternet-based protocols. When so used, the user's cellular telephonenumber, email address, static IP address, MAC address, etc., orsurrogate therefor, serves to uniquely identify the user. Thisinformation, along with various data captured and/or volunteered by theuser, may then be stored in database 22, 122, etc., and tagged to theunique identifier (e.g., telephone number, etc.) associated with themobile device. It is contemplated that with the user's consent, userinformation resident on the mobile device may be transferredautomatically to database 22, 122, etc., e.g., upon transmission of atext, email, or voice message (or other alerts) from the mobile deviceto web portal 20, 120, etc., and/or upon movement of the mobile devicewithin range of a short range wireless communications access point. Suchautomatic transfer, however, is not required. Rather, the web portal mayrely upon the user affirmatively providing such information, such as inresponse to various invitations and/or incentives, as discussed below.It is noted that in these variations, the data collector 14 andprocessing device 16 are both associated with the website 20, 120, andas such, may be disposed remotely from the open house premises 24.

As mentioned above, in addition to, or in lieu of, longer range wirelesstechnology, relatively short range wireless technology, such asBluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, etc., may be used to communicate with the users'personal mobile devices, via an access point deployed at the premises ofthe open house. This access point may include a conventional Wi-Fi(i.e., 802.11x) router, and/or Bluetooth/NFC access point (e.g., WilicoB200, B200A, or B200TS devices available from Futurlink of Barcelona,Spain; www.futurlink.com). This short range wireless communication maybe used to search for any compatible mobile devices within range, andwhen found, transmit advertising or other information to those mobiledevices e.g., to those entering or within an open house. For example,this short range communication may be used to broadcast an invitation tovisit the website 20, 120, e.g., along with a link to the login pagethereof, and/or announcements of other open houses in the area. It isalso noted that two-way communication between the user and websiteportal 20, 120, may be effected via this access point.

An exemplary method of operation 350 of this variation is described withreference to FIG. 6. As shown, a Host Agent 34 may initially register352 a planned open house by logging onto web portal (e.g., website) 20,120, 220, etc. The website may then respond by generating an open houseaccount 62, 62′, and sending the user a unique alphanumeric Open HouseID for that particular open house. The Open House ID may be in nominallyany desired format, such as HTML, PDF, etc., for ease of display on acomputer or other smart device, and/or by printing.

The Host Agent 34 may then download and display this unique Open HouseID at the open house, such as on a notebook computer placed inside theopen house to form an in-house kiosk, on a printed page displayed withinthe open house, and/or on an advertisement transmitted via the shortrange access point discussed above.

Users attending the open house, including the aforementioned Clients 30,Subscribers 36, Unaffiliated Buyers 38, and General Public 42, may beinstructed to register or “sign-in” 356 to that open house by sending amessage (e.g., text, email, voice, or logging on, or sending otheralerts) to the website 20, 120, and supplying with the unique Open HouseID.

Upon receipt of the user's communication, the website 20, 120, mayinitiate several tasks. For example, it may generate and send 358 aconfirmation to the user's mobile device. In the event the user is aRegistered User 30, the website may credit the user's account with theopen house visit, and then add this information to the user's storedaccount history (e.g., to user data 70, open house activity 78, etc.),and to open house data 60 for the particular open house. It is notedthat as an added incentive to register, each open house visit may serveto generate “points” towards various rewards. Website 20, 120, may alsosend an invitation to the Registered User 30 to visit the site andcomplete a “feedback or comments” section to receive additional rewards“points”.

In the event the user is unregistered (e.g., Unaffiliated Buyer 38, or aGeneral Public 42 user), the confirmation may include an invitation tolog onto the website and register, e.g., in order to take advantage ofvarious benefits offered by the various embodiments of the invention,including open house tracking, rewards points, etc. Upon registration,the website 20, 120, may generate 218 a user account 72, 72′, sendingthe user a unique username, user ID, etc.

Optionally, the website may also send 360 automated messages 160 (FIG.3B) via email, text, voice, or other alerts, etc., sent to the varioususers (e.g., to their cell phones, computers, or other devices, (clients30, subscribers 36, agents 32, etc.). For example, messages 162, 164,may be respectively sent to the open house attendees 30, and theiragents 32, in the form of an alert that the user has attended the openhouse, along with the various information associated with the particularopen house.

Messages 160 may also include a message 166 to the host agent 34, thatmay include anonymous and/or summary information relating to the openhouse activity, including the various open house attendees (e.g.,clients 30, subscribers 36), along with contact information, etc., forthe particular agents 32 representing the open house attendees. Theemails 160 may further include messages 167 to represented sellers 41,including anonymous information from profiles 76 of attendees of theopen house.

It should be understood that any of the features described with respectto any one of the embodiments described herein may be used with anyother of the embodiments described herein without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

In the preceding specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evidentthat various modifications and changes may be made thereunto withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings areaccordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictivesense.

1. A real estate open house agency relationship data management system, comprising: a database configured to store and dynamically update open house data, and user data; said database further configured to store open house data associated with a plurality of open houses including a unique identifier for each of the open houses; said database further configured to store agent data for a plurality of agents; said database further configured to store user data for a plurality of users, wherein the user data comprises a unique user identifier, contact information, and identifying information of a real estate agent associated with said user; an agency module communicably coupled to the database, the agency module configured to identify an agency relationship between any of the users and the real estate agent with which they are associated; a website configured to provide selective access to the database; a data collector associated with the unique identifier of the open house, and being configured to collect said user data from a user identification device associated with a user attending the open house; and a processing device communicably coupled to the website, the processing device configured to transfer said collected user identifier and agent identifier to said database.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said user data comprises website activity data relating to the individual user's interaction with said website.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing device is configured to process open house data that includes open house attendance data.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user identification device comprises a mobile device selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, PDA, pocket computer, laptop computer, and combinations thereof.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the identifier is selected from the group consisting of the user's cellular telephone number, email address, static IP address, MAC address, surrogates therefor, and combinations thereof.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the website, using cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, Internet-based protocols, or combinations thereof.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the website is configured to generate an open house ID corresponding to the open house.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the open house attendance information is generated in connection with receipt of the open house ID.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein, the website is configured to record a credit for attendees of the open house who are registered users of the website, and to send a registration invitation to attendees who are unregistered users of the website.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the credit is applied towards rewards for registered users.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the website is configured to include with the invitation, a request for additional user data.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the website is configured to request additional user data relating to an agency relationship between a real estate agent and the user, and user profile data.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a user account accessible through said website, said user account providing access to user data and open house data associated with a particular user.
 14. The system of claim 1, comprising: a communication module associated with the website; the communication module configured to provide anonymized data regarding the users attending the open house, to a host agent hosting the open house; the communication module configured to enable direct communication between the host agent and any users attending the open house who do not have an agency agreement, while substantially preventing direct communication between the host agent and any users attending the open house who have an agency agreement; and the communication module configured to enable direct communication between the host agent and the real estate agents of users attending the open house who have an agency agreement, while maintaining the anonymity of those users having an agency agreement.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication module is configured to send one or more automated messages including alerts to real estate agents that the user has attended the open house, and summary open house activity data to a host agent of the open house and to represented sellers.
 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the communication module is configured to send summary information that includes anonymous profile information of attendees of the open house.
 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a real property account module configured to provide access to data relating to an individual real property for sale stored on said database, through said website.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the real property account module is configured to provide access to the open house data associated with the individual real property.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the real property account module is configured to provide access to open house data including open house profile data identifying the location, time and date of the individual open house.
 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the real property account module is configured to provide access to open house data including the anonymous profile information.
 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the real property account module is configured to provide access to open house data including data on follow up communications with the attendees of the open house.
 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is selected from the group consisting of: a client of a real estate agent, a real estate agent, a host agent hosting the open house, a seller of the open house property, a potential buyer without agency representation, a subscriber to information and services available through the website on a subscription basis, and combinations thereof.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said website is configured to provide access to information from said database on a subscription basis.
 24. The system of claim 1, wherein said website is configured to provide access to limited information from said database to the public.
 25. The system of claim 1, further comprising information retrieval tools configured for retrieval of information from said database, said information retrieval tools being accessible through said website.
 26. The system of claim 1, further comprising communication tools configured for facilitation of on-line communication among users, said communication tools being accessible through said website.
 27. The system of claim 1, further comprising customer relationship management tools, said customer relationship management tools being accessible through said website.
 28. A method of managing real estate open house agency relationship data, comprising: (a) Opening an account for each of a plurality of open houses at a website; (b) Generating an open house identifier for each of the open houses; (c) Enabling communication between the website and user identification devices, each user identification device being a mobile device containing user identification data in the form of a unique user identifier for a user associated with the device, and which is configured for being correlated with identifying information of a real estate agent associated with said user; (d) Enabling users to sign in at any of the plurality of open houses with the user's user identification device; (e) Receiving the user identification data from each user identification device at each open house; (f) Storing the received user identification data and the open house identifier associated with each open house in a database accessible through the website; (g) Identifying agency relationships for the open house between the users and associated real estate agents; (h) Creating and maintaining a record of the identified agency relationships; and (i) Configuring the account for role-based selective access of the database through the website.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein said enabling (d) comprises generating an open house ID, and inviting users to sign into the open house account with the open house ID.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein said receiving (e) comprises collecting from the user identification device, a substantially unique identifier for the user.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein said receiving (e) comprises transmitting an invitation to the user to register on the website.
 32. A method of managing real estate open house data, comprising: (a) Configuring a database to store and dynamically update open house data including unique account information and open house registration data for each of a plurality of real estate open houses, and user data for users, wherein the user data includes user identification data in the form of an identifier that is substantially unique to the user and linked to user contact information; (b) Configuring an agency module communicably coupled to the database, to identify an agency relationship between any of the users and a real estate agent; (c) Configuring a website for access to information from said database; and (d) Configuring a data collector for collection of the user data and the open house registration data, upon receipt of the identifier from user identification devices associated with users attending the real estate open house premises.
 33. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collector is configured to collect real estate listing and open house data from third party sources. 